Peter Beattie will also be in the running to take over as chairman of the ARL.

News

Beattie's plush new rugby league job

by Paul Malone, The Courier-Mail

25th Jul 2017 12:59 PM

FORMER Queensland premier Peter Beattie has agreed to join the ARL Commission.

Beattie will become one of the independent commissioners on the proposed expanded board.

ARL chairman John Grant's successor as chairman next year must come from the ranks of independent commissioners, rather than the commissioners who would represent the NRL clubs, QRL and NSWRL on the mooted make-up of the board to run rugby league in Australia.

Beattie's claims would be strong to become ARL chairman, but he would have to overcome reticence from Sydney clubs to a second Queenslander becoming chairman, following on from Brisbane's Grant.

Beattie's role as chairman of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Organising Committee will demand much of his time until the Games are on in April. Grant's term ends in February.

The second vacancy on the Commission goes to Professor Megan Davis, a constitutional lawyer who was a member of the Prime Minister's expert panel on recognition of indigenous people in 2011.

In Beattie's nine years as state premier from 1998-2007, his ties to rugby league were strong through the State Government's determination to push through the 2003 redevelopment of Suncorp Stadium.

"I have a great love of rugby league and I am excited about the prospect of working with the Commission to make the game even greater," Beattie said.

Grant said that with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, finalisation of the club funding and licence agreement, constitutional reform, and the NRL's digital presence likely to all be completed by year end, the pair were joining the commission for the next stage of the game's development.

"I have no doubt these appointments will give the Commission additional expertise and insight as it looks to capitalise on the foundations that have been put in place over the last six years," Grant said.